Image / Stuff
Ngāi Tahu swimmer Lewis Clareburt has his eyes on a third podium finish ahead of his final event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
He has already managed to snag two gold medals in just as many days - an achievement the 23-year-old from Wellington said he still can't believe.
“I woke up this morning and I don't think I've really processed it yet,” he says.
“It's just a pretty cool feeling to know that I stepped up on the podium twice and they were both golds, and I could never imagine myself doing that.”
Clareburt kicked off his gold medal run on Sunday morning (New Zealand time) when he held off Australia's Brendon Smith and Scotland's Duncan Scott in the 400m individual medley. Then the next morning, he stole the spotlight from 30-year-old vet Chad Le Clos in the 200m butterfly. That was an admirable feat seeing the South African swimmer is now the most decorated Commonwealth athlete of all time (18 medals total).
“I watched Chad beat Michael Phelps in the 2012 Olympics. Just to race him and be on the podium with him is just amazing for me.”
Clareburt has one more event in the 200m individual medley on Wednesday, which he anticipates may be his toughest race yet.
“It's pretty crazy to think that I could bring home three medals… In the 200m medley I know there are two other guys that are super competitive and faster than me, so I'm looking forward to giving it a nudge and I know I got a pretty big target on me now from those other guys.”